Sinner
by Adriana Writes
Summary: He was an addiction that she just could not shake. His arms around her waist as they danced under the moonlight proved to be more than the strong girl could take. He was a danger; but she was a sinner. (AU / ROMANCE / BADE)
1. Blue Valentine

**A/N:** _Alright, I'm really proud of this. This story is my baby, and I can't wait to share it with you! Basically I don't own Victorious or the characters mentioned._

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst. **

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"Hello," Jade smiled widely, a razor blade in her pale hand. She dragged it over the base of the masked boy's neck; he tensed as she pushed it harder against his olive skin. There wasn't enough pressure to cause an incision -there would be time for that later. Right now the cold hearted girl had something else to accomplish. Getting him to speak would mean freedom on the part of her father, and she was willing to do anything to get that for him.

The boy never spoke or made a noise. Most would just assume he was already dead; the stillness of his body would be all the proof that they needed. Oh, but Jade knew better. They were bread to survive. He was just like her, that much she was sure of. Born into this dirty business, learned by necessity; with such dangerous criminals for family there wasn't much of a choice.

At first you start off innocent enough. You're given simple tasks such as to be a distraction, or throw the match and run. The things that never involve you enough to scar your young psyche, and for the most part they don't. You're gone before you have a chance to hear the gunshots or see the car chase and police lights. But the older you get the more liability you become, thus using you as an asset instead. No one would think that Jade, a thin teenage girl with a beautiful figure and green eyes than can be as innocent as they are menacing, would be a cold hearted killer.

They all figure it out soon enough though. She's always too braved and too cocky when she goes in, never letting them forget that she is just as strong as them, if not more. In such a shady business it's always surprising when the mean fear her just as much as they fear her father. The Wests ironically rule the west. The family claimed the territory decades ago, and the business and schemes keep passing generation to generation. Jade would be next in line to run it, although for the most part she already does. Who would have thought that the little girl who used to be known as bait would become such a machine of war.

Leaning into the boy she pulled off the sack, throwing it to the side. The darkness of the room was quickly illuminated by the match that she had lit. Walking from around the back of the chair with the razor in her palm she took a mental picture of her captive. He was just as attractive as she assumed. A chiseled jaw and dark but soft features came together in a heavenly blend, the closest thing to perfection that the teenage girl had ever seen.

Looking up at her his brown eyes made contact with her icy baby blues. "What do you want with me?" His deep voice questioned, the tone portrayed a certainty that Jade could not understand. He was currently in her hands, the razor and raising surface scratch proved that fact. The two took deep breaths, the tension building up the walls like an avalanche prepared to cave.

She frowned, wrapping her arms around his neck and blowing into his ear. His body was relaxed as she slid the blade across the area of his neck that met with his collar bone. With great satisfaction she watched as the blood started to pool out, the bright red liquid standing her hands. Jade got a great deal of happiness watching the boy hold in his whimpers. This was exactly what she was born to do; control. No one could tell her what to do, there was only one person to answer to and she was it. "This," Jade's sultry voice purred, "is what I want from you".

"Your blood is almost as good as your life. Isn't it just that much more painful? To live under the control of someone who has a reason for vengeance? Oh, how I wish I had something in my heart other than ice. But they don't call me Blue Valentine for nothing." Jade had a partner in the ever cheery Caterina Valentine. The two had been inseparable since childhood, the girl's innocence and kind heart made up for Jade's lack of compassion and emotion. They called themselves 'Blue' and 'Red' Valentine respectively.

To Caterina it was just a game; her own secret super hero club that no one else knew about. Sometimes a wave of guilt would wash over Jade, how could she be so cruel to take over the life of a girl who struggled within her own mind? But didn't they all? Cat's touch of bipolar and asperger syndrome put her at a standstill within the socializing department. Although most would never think that Jade would be friends with such a girl, but she loved her like a sister, and that was more than she could ever ask for. Cat never judged her, because she had no idea that her 'Jadey' was as vicious as she was. To the red head they were the same girls they were at the age of eight. There was no way in hell that Jade would ever admit the truth to her, things were better this way.

"What's your name sweetheart," Jade wondered, putting the razor into the pocket of her vest and awaiting and answer as she pulled a chair up in front of him. Now that they were facing towards each other she took his rope bound hounds in her own smaller ones and smirked. "Let's get to know each other, trust builds people up." Giggling like a little girl introduced to Barbie for the first time her insanity was bubbling up to the surface.

He wore a confused expression that was barely readable in the dim light of the chilly warehouse room. "Beckett Oliver, but you already knew that." The young man seethed, the bleeding in the cut on his neck was slowing down to a delayed trickle. There was no way that he could be over the age of nineteen, and sadly Jade recognized him from various city functions her family had to attend. She nodded, yes, she already knew that. He was exactly who she wanted. Beck being the son of the newest and most influential family in America who also happened to live in California; which just happened to be a lucky coincidence for Jade.

Hearing the sound of clinking metal Jade turned around, seeing Cat walk in with a backpack and a stuffed giraffe wrapped in her small arms. She walked towards Jade and Beck, slowly examining the situation before grabbing a chair for herself and setting her backpack down next to her. Reaching in she pulled out a bottle of antiseptic spray and a hello kitty band-aid that would be big enough to cover the cut completely.

Jade groaned, this was not how you scared an enemy. But Cat would help out whoever she good, it was another one of her negative traits. Being loving towards others was her forte and Jade hated that fact. It made Cat happy though, and as her best friend she knew she owed her that much. It already felt like she took advantage of the bright red head without having to add 'dream crusher' to the list. Though for most people she already was.

Humming her favorite song by Demi Lovato as she tended to his wound Cat smiled at him, a real smile that Jade obviously didn't have the muscles to create. "Thank you." Beck said, giving her as much a thankful smile as he could produce. Cat waved it off, muttering something about a missing band aid and her brother's love for Mila Kunis. Sitting in her own chair Jade pushed things around in Cat's bag before finding what she'd asked her friend to bring to her.

This was a document of utmost importance, the deed to a piece of land near her family's mansion. If the Oliver family lived that close to the Wests things were bound to get messy. And due to Beck's recent tattling about what he saw Jade do at a concert months previous they would be keeping and even closer eye. What he saw was wrong. She was no prostitute, and she couldn't believe that he thought that was what he saw. Beck was ignorant when it came to the streets, if he'd been any brighter he would have known that she was dealing drugs. Which, from what Jade saw on the television was a rich boy's favorite past time. Though she was a rich girl herself she never associated with many people.

"What I want to know is why you chose me to nark out." Jade's business tone was enough to startle poor Cat, who hid behind her backpack as she held it in the air in front of her face. Short breaths and eeps could be heard, but Jade ignored her. Things such as this happened often and if she addressed it every single time there'd be no more minutes left to deal with the actual situation. Elbows on her knees and pierced eyebrow raised she waited for an answer. The police would be on the West's tail in no time if the Oliver's ever chose to speak about the things they saw and heard. A gun shot was something a clean family like them wouldn't remotely consider to be normal.

The room was eerily silent as she waited for a response. Shallow breathing and the slight humming of a laptop echoed around the steel walls. It was empty except for the small section that the threesome of teenagers sat in. A blanket and pillow were currently being handed to Beck by a giggling Cat. She always did her best to make their 'guests' –as Jade called them- comfortable. Cat considered herself to be quite the hostess, and wouldn't want to lose that self-proclaimed title because of Jade's grumpiness.

"I didn't tell anyone anything, I don't even know who you are." He confessed, lifting his hand to run it through his hair only to tug on the ropes and create and even worse burn than before. Flinching Jade saw the moment of pain in his eye, but what did she care? Never before did she see pain in anyone's eyes. She'd spent all this time in the past thinking it was just an urban, something that writers say to potray and emotion when they're too lazy to explain it. But you can see a person's soul through their eyes, and Jade could only wonder what people saw through hers.

The bitter teenager who never had a chance at living a real life; one that she deserved. But in all honestly Jade loved the life she's living now. There were never any moments where she had to pretend to be happy. She could be as cruel and blunt as she pleases, no questions asked. Life was so much easier when what people expect is exactly who you are. Nature vs. nurture is something that has been widely talked about for years, but Jade knew that no matter how she grew up there would never be any hope for her soul. It was too gone to ever be brought back into the mix, not that she would want it to.

When you have nothing to regret, and no feelings in the mix things just work out easier. Now, holding a match in her hand debating whether or not to use it as a tool, the way she'd been taught, this was her first meeting with morality. And god did it suck. Her mind wandered to the thoughts of the previous crimes that she had committed. No one ever came back to haunt her, ever. And now here she stands unable to move her hand.

His brown eyes pleaded with her to not do it. But her mind convinced her otherwise. There was only so much a girl could do before it all become too much. Kicking her chair to the floor with a large bang Jade pulled her hair in her hands, tugging on the black tresses as she continued assault on the metal object. Her thick boots protected her toes from the damage that could have been inflicted as she let her aggression out. She was a sinner, that's all she was supposed to be. "Fuck you!" Jade yelled, her voice boomed throughout and was so loud that Cat snapped out of her conversation with the giraffe and tears formed in her eyes. All the while Beck just sat there, mocking her with his eyes of pain.

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**A/N:** _So what did you think? Let me know in a review, please!_


	2. Artificial Heart

**A/N:** _Happy Easter to anyone who celebrates! I wrote this while in and out of dinner, so let's just give a huge thank you to transportable laptops. Where would we be without them? I am just in love with everyone who reviewed, you all should get gold stars! Um, and I also don't own Victorious or any of the cannon characters mentioned._

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst.**

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Time had passed quickly; yesterday's events were becoming a mere memory in Jade's mind. But to everyone around her they were only being brought to the surface. It was hard to admit that she still found herself thinking about that boy and his beautiful face and body. Jade wanted nothing more than to take him right then, right there –although it was more of a subconscious fantasy that she denied whenever she thought of him. For a sinner she truly had no idea what she was doing, the dark girl had dissipated along with any once of self-assurance she once had.

Outside the sky was a murky grey color, the standstill before the pink tinted sundown. Jade sat on the concrete and held her face with her hands. The rings on her fingers scratching against her skin, but what did it matter? She wasn't strong enough to do the one task that she was given. Who could take her seriously anymore? Caring about people's feelings was not how you made it anywhere in the circle that Jade ran in.

Breathing in deeply she continued deep in thought, knowing that whatever was going on inside was ran by Cat, and she never let anyone get hurt. Her best friend was so sensitive towards other people's feelings that Jade almost thought it was a sixth sense. But she knew better, Cat just had compassion, a trait that Jade luckily had lacked for so long, until today that is.

She chuckled humorously as she considered what Vega would say. Another childhood friend, the two had been inseparable until they reached the age of thirteen. By then Jade was already maturing into a beautiful young woman, whereas Tori –Vega, same difference- continued to look like a nine year old boy. With a flat chest and a strict no dress policy she was so much less than Jade, and that just wouldn't do. In all honesty it wasn't that she actually had a problem with the unfortunate girl, it lied more with Tori's older sister, Trina. But as time went on they developed their own form of hatred, neither spoke, but they both always knew the other was watching.

Most of the time it pushed Jade to do better, but there were moments when she wished they would just drop the feud and let it go, like they should have a long time ago. But they were knee deep, far too close to sinking to do anything about it. Taking deep breaths Jade now sat with her hands on her knees, steadying herself for any blow –physical or emotional- that she would have to endure. Traumatic experiences helped shape her, no one become this damaged just by teaching. Maybe this would be the one that taught her how to not be so weak, because God knows that's something that she desperately needed to learn.

Sauntering back inside Jade prepared for the fight. Calmly she leaned towards the young man and cut the ropes with the blade on her pocket knife. As he shook her arms to wake up the no doubt tingling limbs Jade motioned towards Cat who walked over with her palm opened as Jade pulled two pills from her hand.

"Thanks, baby girl." Jade smiled towards her best friend. Cat was pleased with herself, rewarding Jade's appreciation with a hug she sat back down on her chair and began to braid her dyed red hair leaving Jade to basically do whatever she pleases, leaving at least thirty minutes before she would even possibly break out of her trance.

Beneath her Beck nodded towards the knife, which Jade folded closed as she untied the bounds on his feet and stomach that wrapped around the body of the chair. "There you go, Beck." Jade patted his knees, standing back up onto her feet. She glanced over to the opening that could be considered a door, waiting for someone to burst through and give her the punishment she obviously deserved. First, he lived; second, he left. Although he still sat in the chair unsure of what to do. Jade wondered why he hadn't fought back yet, there had been numerous opportunities for him to do such a thing.

She was standing with her feet apart and knee bent, ready to strike. In her acid wash skinny jeans, purple tank top, and studded leather jacket she had a look that could kill. The purple high lights in her hair only accented the smirk that she was carrying. 'Fake it 'till you make it' was a saying that Jade had long been known to ridicule, but for this instance it fit oddly well. Beck just sat there, had hand running through his silky hair, watching her every move. Deciding that she had been putting it off long enough the dark haired beauty finally spoke.

"Here's the deal," Beck nodded in acknowledgement, as if he had an understanding about what she was about to propose. But he had no idea what she was truly thinking. Death, commonly used a form of punishment would not do. She'd plead that he was not guilty, for all she knew he could be as innocent as a lamb. But she didn't know anything about him, which was yet another weak spot. "You leave, and I tell everyone you escaped. Don't tell them I let you go, I don't tell them that you did it" Her bluff was surfacing, although she tried her best to keep it at bay. A perfect poker face, no one else could master it. But here she was losing that art.

"That's the thing, Jade. What if I don't want to go? Maybe getting caught was my plan. Don't you think it came too easily?" He was ridiculing her, getting under her skin in the worst way. Trying to one up her plan, but Jade didn't fall for it at all. His emotions ranged from cool and collected to blank and without a care. He was awfully calm for the situation, which did raise a red flag, But then again, from everything Jade had gathered about the so-called nark she should know that he wasn't known for his vibrant personality, quite the opposite actually.

She set her hands on his thighs, close to his knees. Leaning towards him face to face her breath hitched in her throat as Jade came in contact with his scent. Cologne that she didn't recognize, but was already entranced with. "Listen to me," Jade spat, her pale nose practically touching his own. In that moment all Jade wanted to do was lean forward and set her lips on his. The temptation was stronger than she had ever felt. But Jade was stronger than her mind, and continued to play the stronger person in this situation.

"I know all of your dirty little secrets. God forbid you spill one of mine. I can kill you with just your own stupidity. From my research it shows that that will be the easy part."

Looking him the eye Jade frowned, her brows furrowed in concentration as she considered what to do next. He was currently here without any reason, so she came to the conclusion that letting him go was the right choice. There was no mistake. If they wanted to blame her, they could. She wouldn't mind. Doing what could save her was always better than doing what could save them as a whole. After all, she's always been a selfish girl, wanting what others have for her.

"Go." And with that he jumped from his chair, a hidden smile on his face. There were no words exchanged as he stood there, unsure of what was coming next. He was just given permission to leave, but he didn't know how these people worked. Maybe it was code for 'you're dead' there was no telling. Beck stood there for a moment before getting a nod from Jade, and going off through the doors.

Jade waved, and tried her best to make good of the situation. It's all she could do to even remotely be prepared to face tomorrow. Letting her victim go would without a doubt get her a high level of punishment; Jade was a talented fighter, and she wondered if it was finally time to fight back.

Standing in front of her dad and a few of her minions Jade looked around, the rundown building in downtown L.A had been a safe meeting ground for had been a safe meeting ground for the group for years. All operations were stationed from this previously abandoned building. Although the outside was old and unloved the inside was beautiful. Plus objects at every turn, money was no object and that fact obviously tied into the decorating of the place.

Outside in the window hung a blinking open sign, another reminder of the fact that they had to cover their tracks at every single turn. The building was posed as an insurance office, it was Jade's mom's idea that started the fake business. She claimed if they had a reason for the money that there would be less questions. The more legit you could make it look the better. And there was no denying that this looked legit, a bit too fancy for this part of town, but it felt like that's what everyone was actually here to do.

The so-called insurance brokers were actually just henchmen to her father, following every order they were given. Mostly the dirty work so that Mr. West's hands would be free of any blood. He rarely did partake in the killing of any person –unless they rubbed him in the worst way possible. Behind desks the 'secretaries' helped plan every detail down to a T. Everyone else did their part, posing as workers for small, menial jobs that no one would remember the names of. They were the strong ones when it came time to bring a plan to life. No one would remember anything important about them, but they would know just enough to testify that they were there and had no part in whatever crime they were accused of.

Moving closer to her small frame a man in a black ensemble and top hat followed closely behind. The scene presented itself as a picture out of an old 1920's mafia movie, if only they knew how close to reality that would continue to be. Time changed things, but not by much. Fashion, food, and entertainment; but general things stayed the same. Jade wished things would have changed, that death wasn't something that the young girl had to witness daily, and that she had some form of a conscience. Too late now, just like always.

"You little bitch!" His loud voice boomed, his large hand making contact with Jade's face. The slapping sound echoed throughout the small room, the others just stood behind him watching. Last week she would have been the one making orders towards his abuse and pain. "Did your shit of a mother never tell you anything?" He yelled, this time kicking her in the leg with a dull cracking sound. Jade knew that most likely her leg had been broken, but that was an easy enough fix.

The other men joined in the festivities, kicking, punching, and slapping a raggedy Jade. Her body went limp thirty minutes after everyone had joined in. She fought every second, her screams never left her moth and her tears stayed in her eyes; exactly how they were supposed to. They screamed profanities at the girl, and ridiculed her as they beat her body. In those moments Jade started to wonder how her father could let them treat her in such a way. He always said that once you make a mistake it always comes back to haunt you, and this moment was complete proof of that truth.

A broken girl lied on the hard floor, bloody, broken, and bruised. But the only words she could utter were "it's my fault. All of this, it's my fault." The chant continued on, her small figure on the cold ground with no plan to stop her constant speaking. Her head was light and she felt dizzy and sick, but it was all her fault. They gave her a responsibility that she couldn't handle, punishment was well deserved. At least in her mind it was. For such a strong girl to turn into someone so weak would hurt anyone who saw, but she hid this from the people that she loves most. Because Jade sure as hell never wanted their help, why would she want their pity?

Hours went by, her lips becoming chapped and her breathing becoming a challenge, the shallow breaths were quite loud. Her struggle for air continued, there was no one in the room when she heard the knock on the door. Screeching she tried to hide in the corner, to get away from one of the horrible men that had participated in this little game. The tears had started running down her face, black mascara marks and faded lipstick were the better parts of her appearance. Sobs wracked her body as she pulled her knees to her chest and curled up in a little ball, not sure what the man planned to do to her.

She could feel him moving closer to her, the hovering sensation of impending doom seemed to be lurker, although in this state Jade couldn't help but feel melodramatic. "What do we do with her?" One voice wondered aloud, his foot lightly kicking Jade's bloody torso.

"I don't know, what were the instructions?" Another asked. She sighed internally, more idiots that she had to deal with even when she was close to death. Being that her father was the head of all operations there was no chance that he'd told them to kill her. But he wasn't much of a person, let alone a father, so something violent was always allowed.

The men stopped for a moment and looked at each other, before coming to a conclusion. "We'll dump her on the other side of town. Like, you know the fancy pants side. Good hospitals so less chance of her dying. Mr. West would be pissed if she did, you know if he didn't do it himself." They both chuckled before the more muscular one threw her damaged body over his shoulder.

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**A/N:** _Reviews and favorites are pretty damn cool, if I'm being honest._


	3. Date With the Night

**A/N:** _Look, it's an update! I wanted to thank you guys so much for reviewing, I know six isn't much but I'm super grateful, I wasn't even expecting one review! You guys are amazing._

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst.**

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Los Angeles greeted Jade with bright sunshine and a light breeze to even out the already hot day. It was currently nine A.M, and from where Jade lied, underneath the shelter of the bus stop, she could see the large clock ticking away with every second. Across the street was a mini mall center, and one of the bigger department stores was kind enough to have a clock on their tall tower. Jade would have laughed at the stupidity if she wasn't currently waiting for it to fall off the building, leaving her without any time to count.

The night had treated her as well as it could. There were no homeless men whom she had to share the bench with, but there were people who were too scared to come near her. Jade had managed to stop the bleeding for the most part after ripping off a few pieces of her tank top and tying it around her bleeding leg as a bandage.

People were too afraid to approach her. Every once in a while someone would look her way, but ultimately the continued on. These people with their money, they had no clue on how to approach a beaten girl. Jade just continued to hope that someone would have the ability to pull out their phone and dial 911.

Groaning and wincing whenever a gust of wind blew through she was starting to doubt ever getting rescued. Pulling herself out of her dark thoughts she felt a tug on the bottom of her show, without any warning it triggered a reaction for her. She began kicking at the person, and flailing her arms around as continued to pull on her foot until she was out from underneath the bench.

"I was just trying to get you out, no need to freak." The voice snapped. Instantly Jade recognized it, Beckett Oliver; the boy who just yesterday had been under her control. There was no way she would let him see her like this. Her pride go in the way, she would rather die than get help from him. But he still didn't recognize her as she hid her face in the sleeves of her baggy jacket, facing onto the concrete.

"Don't touch me, go." Jade demanded, setting herself upright and pulling her knees to her chest. Beck still stood there, kneeling down to her level and placing his finger underneath her chin, pulling her face up to look at him. "I'm fine, I said go." Her voice was raspy and rugged, the dryness in her throat caused by days without hydration except for the few sips she got at a nearby water fountain.

Meeting his eyes she was startled, her blue orbs widening in fear. "Let's get you some help okay?" Beck requested, pulling her small body into his arms he set her onto his knee before completely standing up. She sniffed his shirt, the unfamiliar smell of soap and clean clothes rushed over her. The girl couldn't help but feel comforted, something about him just felt right to her.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, she tightened her grip not wanting to let go. Part of her screamed, wanting her to leave and never turn back; she was strong, she was brave. Jade would be just fine on her own. This boy was nothing to her, merely a victim. A stinging sensation surged through her entire body, the aftershock of bruises, cuts, and broken bones -too much pain to be tolerable, but not enough for her body to shut itself into unconsciousness. Jade wished that it would.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital. Is that okay?" Beck asked, the tall building coming into view. A small parking lot was crowded as people rushed in and out of the emergence room, most with only minor injuries. Jade spotted some second degree burns, a kid with a sprained ankle (the soccer uniform gave that away), and a few women in labor. None of them were truly in any danger, except for her.

Injuries like her own stood to people in neighborhoods like this. They normally never witnessed such a traumatic beating. The raven haired girl stifled a laugh, in the hospital by her own living quarters people in situations similar to her own weren't that bad. People came in with knives through their head and the receptionist wouldn't even flinch, everyday life I guess.

The pair made it to the emergency desk. The woman seated behind took in Jade's condition before handing Beck a clipboard after he set her down in a chair not too far away. "You need to fill this out. She'll be taken back immediately, don't worry." The woman assured him before he came and sat himself down next to her, finally getting a good look at her face.

"Jade-" Beck paused, pushing a strand of hair from in front of her eyes. "You?" He mumbled, as if saying it out loud would make it less true. A woman whom he feared only days ago now needing his help. Luckily for her he was a selfless person, or had been taught to be as he began filling out the paperwork, basically only on the emergency contact information. None of the other stuff meant anything to him.

She nodded, "yes. What does it matter? I honestly don't give a shit if you leave me, I can handle the rest." Beck only ignored her, not being brought down by her obvious lack of gratefulness.

"Fill it out as Ruby East." Knowing that he was very unlikely to leave her now she agreed to continue on with the pattern, giving him the name that she used in medical emergencies as well as for a driver's license. Her parents had created the alias upon first beating. They wanted her to stay under the radar when it came to medicine, the address led to an old apartment that was furnished and stocked full of things to make it look like a normal college girl lived there.

If the police caught on to her regular hospital visits there's not a doubt that they wouldn't get suspicious. But with nothing to search there isn't much to do, so it almost became a real identity to her, being that it was used to often.

Beck nodded, and jotted it down on the name line as well as the birthday that Jade had instructed. Medical conditions and the like were ignored, getting to the line about allergies. This is where she'd like to take the clip board and fill it out for herself, but she just didn't have the strength.

"Any allergies?" Jade nodded, slouching deeper into the waiting room chair and feeling like a little girl again. This was the most embarrassing part of any doctor's visit. Strong, tough, goth girl allergic to cats and strawberries. Who knew?

Looking around in case anyone was watching them closely Jade answered, "cats and strawberries." Beck laughed, why would anyone want that information? He realized soon after his chuckle that it was probably a pride thing. He hadn't dealt with many girls who carried themselves as tough and scary as Jade, but Jade wasn't any girl. The way she treated him that room showed her true colors. She was a fearless and ruthless leader. Which only lead to more questions as to why she was currently in such bad shape.

About four minutes later a nurse came out in cat scrubs, making her groan and hide her face in what was left of her fairly torn up leather jacket. "Ruby East please come back with me." Jade stood up, looking at Beck telling him to come with her. She had some things that she needed to say.

The pair stood awkwardly by the nurse, whose name tag read 'Amanda' waiting for the door to the hallway to be opened. "Who are you?" She asked Beck, pointing a finger.

Before he even got a chance to speak Jade cut in. "He's my husband," she said in a giddy voice, his arm holding her up after her outright refusal to sit in a wheel chair. That had been accompanied by a lot of bickering before she agreed to let him hold her up. Now he was wishing he'd gotten one. Why would she make up a story like that?

"Well in that case come on back." Amanda replied, opening the door and letting the two go in front of her. Beck heard her grumble something about today's teenagers before leading them to a small emergency room. "The doctor will be with you soon, take off your coat, sweetheart." She said to Jade before walking out and closing the door behind her.

As Jade started stripping herself of the bloody clothes Beck stood awkwardly in the corner, not knowing what to do. First her jacket came off with a toss, the sliced leather falling to the ground with virtually no sound. Her short sleeve shirt gave away the cuts and bruises on her arm and around her collar bone, her broken arm barely noticeable to her anymore.

Lifting up her t-shirt she exposed her stomach and black bra, the biggest bruise came up to the bottom of the band, tainting her beautiful pale skin an ugly greenish color. She looked at her reflection in the mirror on the door for a few moments before throwing the hospital gown over and slipping off her jeans from underneath.

The girl that she saw in the mirror had none of the features that she could remember. Bruises, cuts, scrapes, they were all placed on her body as if they didn't belong; like stickers. She looked at herself and saw a mangled mess of stickers pretending to portray weakness, when all they did was last for a few days before healing and disappearing as if they never existed before. Jade sighed, lying down on the table as she waited for the doctor.

Besides her Beck sat down in a plastic chair, mentally cursing the person who did so much damage to her. The place where her razor dug in had healed for the most part, thankfully she hadn't cut too deep. But the damage was visible, though Beck doubted Jade had even looked his way for two seconds.

Even though she was a ruthless person he felt sympathy towards her. Obviously someone used her as a punching bag, and it pained him to think that they could be so cruel as to beat a teenage girl into unconscioness. There must be some explanation, but it wasn't his business to pry.

A few minutes of silence passed before Beck whispered, "What did you want to talk about?" It sounded like such a typical teenage question. But they weren't typical teenagers, he'd been her captive and now she was in need of his help. Her blue eyes had gone a dull gray color as she tugged on the gown before speaking.

"You know who I am, Beck." He nodded, not understanding.

"Yes, you're that Jade, the one who wanted to kill me."

"I didn't want to kill you. There are more important things than your life." Jade replied quickly, rolling her eyes at his selfish comment. Of course he'd see himself as the victim.

"Really? Because you seemed pretty murderous holding that knife to my neck!" Beck retorted, running his hand through his soft brown hair.

"It wasn't a knife." She mumbled, playing with the rings on her hands. "It was a razor blade." It was stated in such a way, as if she was speaking to an idiot; which in her mind she was.

"Can you not tell anyone about this?" Jade asked, her eyes pleading with him to agree. If anyone found out she was helped by the main reason she'd been punished they'd have her head on a stick. This time literally.

"What's in it for me?" He asked, tilting his head a little to the right, making eye contact with Jade who quickly looked away to a medical poster that hung on the wall.

"Breathing," Jade replied as If it wasn't a big deal. Even in a hospital bed she still looked capable of killing. Especially after Beck had experienced a certain episode that would haunt him forever. A knife being held to your neck (or throat) was not something people often forget.

The door opened revealing a doctor in the normal white lab coat. He went through all the stages of a standard emergency visit, writing down notes here and there as he monitored the damage. Jade sat quietly, waiting for it to be over. Doctors made her nervous, although shed never admit that out loud.

The doctor seemed to be contemplating a few things, and explain information whenever Jade would cry out in pain from a movement. "How come you weren't immediately brought back, you could have been in serious condition." His gray hair outlined the wrinkles on his forehead as he wondered what crazy person would ever go that long in such pain.

"She refuses to acknowledge pain." Beck replied with a smug grin. She'd been casted up and attached to machines while she waited on the results of her x-ray. Jade would never have admitted that she was so weak, she lived just fine. A few broken ribs and one broken arm and leg would be healed quickly, her arm only had a hairline fracture. Only a few of the cuts would scar, and the bruise on her ribcage would heal within a few months. Things were looking up.

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**A/N:** _Review and I'll give you Avan Jogia._


	4. My Fault

**A/N:** _I just got tickets to go see Imagine Dragons in concert, so while I freak out I figured I could post this chapter. Chapter five will give you so many feels, I'm already sobbing thinking about it.  
_

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst.**

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****"_Daddy, please!" Eleven year old Jade pleaded. Her blue eyes filled with worry and sorrow as his strong hand went across her mother's face. Jasper, her two year old younger brother, sat innocently on the chair next to her watching their father assault their mother as if it was a show. He had no idea that this was a vicious act._

_Jade cried out behind her hand, sobbing as she watched the scene unfold. This was supposed to be a family occasion, Easter dinner wasn't supposed to end with another beating. He had promised Jade, he said he'd never lay another hand on her mother. It was all for purposes of knocking his daughter down, forcing her to watch the pain that was inflicted._

_She took her other hand and placed it over her brother's eyes, his own hands covering his ears not wanting to hear the sounds of slapping and the loud sobs from their mother who now lay on the floor helpless. She took Jasper's small body in her arms; he sat on her lap as she rocked him back and forth. The three year old didn't deserve to watch this happen, she didn't deserve to watch this happen._

_Promises meant nothing, Jade realized, how could she be naïve? He had warned her about the trust that she misplaced in the hands of her family. Cousins, aunts, uncles, fathers, they all betrayed such a valuable gift. _

_As she watched the struggle Jade decided to run. Taking Jasper in her arms she sprinted out the front door, closing it with a bang that made the frame of the house shake. The pair ran down the street ignoring the shouts and gun shots happening around them. That was what their neighbors did for fun. _

_Jade kept chanting 'we'll be fine' in her repeatedly. Jasper would be, even if it was the last thing that she ever did._

Her eyes opened wide, sitting up straight in the hospital bed. Ripping wires and the ivy out of her arms she screamed, the piercing sound of her voice echoed throughout the white walls as nurses came rushing in, the beeping sound of the monitor signaled death, Jade could only wish.

The last thing she could remember before waking up hours later was the sound of shouting, her own mixed with the nurses, and a prick in her arm before being completely enveloped by darkness and sleep. Being dragged away from reality and into the darkness of yet another nightmare, and she thought they had stopped. What a shitty thing reality is.

_Early afternoon was always nice in Los Angeles, the sun hit just right for it to be warm enough for a dip in the pool or a walk to the closest frozen yogurt stand. But for some people the only high point was the daylight, hoping that it would be bright enough to illuminate the face of the dreaded person or attacker._

_Mr. West had just taken Jade to an audition at the private fine arts school called 'Hollywood Arts', most of the students were colorful and talented. Two things that he'd hate for his daughter Jade to be. How could any parent in their right mind allow their children to live upon such delusions? And he had David Vega to blame, his daughter Victoria, more commonly known as Tori, had been admitted to the school and it only prompted more interest from his own princess. She and Tori were best friends, so were he and David, being that he was the only cop on the force who never enforced the rules to the West Gang. He was too smart to sign away his own life by ever selling them out._

_The brown haired girl sat in the passenger seat twiddling her thumbs before looking up and finally speaking. "Dad, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Why can't you support it?" Jade admitted. The color instantly draining from his face, there was no possibly way that he'd let his daughter become a Hollywood bimbo. She was better than that he would punish her to make sure she understood. The Wests were not there for others people's pleasure, and any movie star or singer floozy basically walked around the world auctioning them as desperate. _

_He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "No, it is not. Jadelyn August West if you mention this singing shit one more time I will personally see to your send off. You won't be missed." Jade nodded, pulling her hood over her head and sticking the black ear buds in her ears blasting rock music to try and drown out the sound of her father's ranting. He continued to go off about the music industry, but Jade didn't hear a thing._

_Jade had no idea that for the rest of her life she would spend her free time writing songs in secret. A guitar would be hidden in the back panel of her closet, along with a stack of notebooks and pens that had run dry from her constant lyric jotting. Secret lives sometimes are the only thing that can keep us sane._

Hours later Jade awoke to the soft humming of the monitor that was carefully watching her heart beat. For a few moments she stayed still, just watching the lines go up and down, the pattern on life. She sighed, rubbing her groggy eyes with the back of her fists and rolling her neck to get the kinks out that an excessive amount of sleeping could cause.

"Good morning, sunshine." Beck mocked, handing her a cup of coffee that she took greedily. Taking a sip and letting the black liquid go down her throat and satisfy her intense desire for caffeine. The cup of coffee made up for the mockery of the nickname sunshine, one that Jade had never been called before. Whore, slut, bitch, she was used to those terms of endearment. They suited her; she was deserving of them. But sunshine just made her feel out of place and awkward, which by the smirk he was wearing on his face was his objective.

He pulled a chair closer to her bed and plopped down, surveying the room while she did the same. White walls and clean machines weren't really inviting. While Beck was wondering why they hadn't bothered to add color to the dreary atmosphere Jade was admiring the cleanliness of the building, a first for the girl.

Setting the cup onto the pull-over table Jade whined, "It's too early to be so mean." Beck chuckled at her comment, she was one to speak. When he was here an hour ago her dream consisted of a lot of yelling on her part, her forehead wrinkles creased and her lower lip pouted as she ranted about music in her dream. It would have been cute had the monologue not been filled with more curse words than the typical sailor used. He was surprised some of them were even legitimate. But with a quick google search Jade was proved right.

The doctor knocked on the door, Jade called for him to come in. Setting his papers on the computer base he walked over with a clipboard in his arms and a tight lipped smile on his face. "There's so good news and some bad news, Ruby." Jade nodded, urging him to continue.

"A few of your ribs are broke, but we expected no less. You have a hairline fracture on your right arm, and your left leg's bone will be bruised for quite a long time. You'll be put in a sling for your arm, and your leg will be in a brace for a few weeks just so the bruise doesn't worsen. Rest assured that you will heal as good as new." He smiled, patting Jade on the head to which she responded with a scowl.

"Your x-rays showed previous damage, are you a clumsy person?" The doctor asked as he pulled on latex gloves and replaced the ivy. Jade shook her head 'no', wincing as the needle was pulled out and a new one was put in. She always hated needles; she would always dread shots for weeks.

Tossing the gloves into a trash bin he sat onto a wheeled stool. "Ruby, you are quite the trooper aren't you, dear? I would have admitted you a lot quicker had you been screaming from the actual pain as opposed to being so brave. I would be sobbing if those kinds of injuries were on me." He laughed, handing her a cup of water and leaving the room.

"So, trooper, when do you want to get out of here?" She groaned, pulling her hair into a messy bun at the top of her head. How did he not run away in fear yet? She vaguely resembled the yeti. Her teeth weren't brushed, her hair went every which way, and her clothes had been substituted for a bland and shapeless hospital gown. He stayed, and for some reason Jade didn't feel judged. There was nothing at this moment that she had to live up to.

Throwing a pillow across the room Jade sighed, "I want out now." She stated, rummaging through her bag that sat on the table besides the bed.

Beck nodded, handing her a patient release form which she signed quickly. "By the way, you're coming home with me." He deadpanned. The spokes were rotating in his head. There was no way that he would trust Jade to get home safely, was her home even safe?

"Here you go, dear. You have an appointment in three weeks to see how your bones are healing. Don't miss, alright?" The nurse at the front desk said with a smile. Jade took the appointment cart from her hand and slid it into her dirty jeans pocket, not even muttering a thank you.

As she walked towards the sliding doors Beck followed closely behind, holding the magazines and candy that she'd requested from the gift shop. Despite how ill she felt the first night it didn't stop her from demanding things. One of which was a trip to the gift shop on the first floor of the hospital. Equipped with a list of good candy, and bad candy, as well as a Starbucks order he'd come back with more stuff than she'd ever need. The magazines didn't get read, and the doctor refused to let her eat that mass amount of candy, but the stuff made her smile so Beck hadn't gotten mad at her. Her smile was manipulative.

"I brought my car over last night, I figured we could hang out at my place for a bit?" He shrugged noncommittally, opening the passenger door for Jade as she slid in, admiring the top of the line quality of the vehicle. It had leather seats and a navigation system that Jade had only seen in commercials. When they said the Oliver's were rich they weren't kidding around.

Pulling the seat belt over her chest she nodded. "Yeah, make decisions for me without even asking. Nice of you," The black haired girl scoffed, looking out the window as the engine roared to life and they left the parking lot, on their way to a new found freedom.

"So how'd this happen?" Beck asked, making small talk as they drove.

"You mean my lovely bruises?" She replied, batting her eyelashes and mocking it as if it were a new makeup look or nail color.

"Yup. Piss someone off? Not that I doubt it." Jade felt a pang of remorse, that's exactly what she had done, though he was in no place to know that.

"Haha, very funny. Nah, I just really like falling off of tall buildings." Her tone spoke of finality, and the topic wasn't brought up for the rest of the trip home.

The duo drove up to a mansion, a large white house with an impressively green lawn and more than enough gardeners and lawn mowers than needed. It was incredible; easily the nicest home that Jade had ever been invited to. As they approached large cast iron gates opened inwards, leading them towards a long driveway that stopped in front of a six car garage, that three minutes ago Jade didn't know even existed.

Beck rushed over, opening the door for her which she accepted with a smile that was disguised as an unimpressed smirk. Throwing her bag over her shoulder she walked towards the front door, which Beck used his decorated house key to open. "Um, thanks." Jade said, walking into the foyer.

She stood underneath a beautiful chandelier that when turned on glittered around the tall entry way. It was enchanting. Instantly her brain went to curious mode, wondering how much something like that could get on the black market. It was the kind of thing that her dad would kill to sell, possibly able to pay for their dinners for a year.

"You like what you see?" Jade nodded, still entranced. Beck slipped his hand in her own, guiding her through a hallway and into the backyard through a door in the laundry room.

"Where are we going?" She inquired, still following him as they trudged through the soggy grass.

"My house." Beck said, opening the door to a smaller bungalow that was furnished as if a teenager guy lived there. Flashy signs and funny posters were hung on the wall. Jade was surprised that it was so tidy, but there were socks and jeans poking out from underneath the door of the closet and couch, not that she would mind in the least.

Jade took in the small two-bedroom, a kitchenette and living room equipped with a big flat screen T.V and multiple gaming consoles almost took her breath away. "I was expecting more." Her lips were in a tight flat line as she awkwardly stood towards the door not sure where to go.

"I'd make myself at home but you didn't fucking clue me in on any shit, so…" Beck laughed, biting his lower lip. With a ding his keys and wallet went into a dish that set on the kitchen counter, a bit too sophisticated?

"Oh, yeah. Um, you could stay in my guest room? Or the main house, I just choose to not associate with my parents." Jade nodded in understanding. She could see her own house from the window in the living room. No one was home, being as it mostly served as a mailing address.

At one point she thought they lived lavishly. But she was dead wrong, this was so much nicer than anything she'd seen before. Although there wasn't much time to consider that, being as there was a guy currently being nice to her who hadn't even stated what he wanted. She would be getting to the bottom of that. If there was anything Jade hated more than pansies it was users.

"Just so you know I'm not having sex with you. I know you saved me and all, but I would be fucking fine on my own. So if that's what you're wanting I'm out." Jade stated, arms crossed over her chest daring him to say something that would prove her accusation right.

Beck stared at her, quickly replying in an angry tone. "No, fuck, is that what you think?" When she didn't say anything he added instantly "-I just want to help you, it would make me feel better if you'd let me."

She didn't say anything as she walked into the guest room bags in hand and a slammed door behind her.

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**A/N:** _Review and I'll give you a bag of free bibble? My Avan Jogia giveaway wasn't as successful as I'd hoped. Need I remind you he's only playing a killer in Twisted._


	5. She's So Mean

**A/N:** _My long hiatus was due to my taking a trip to California to go visit my grandmother. Sadly, she passed away last week and all the time in between has been really hard on me. But the important thing is that I'm back now! Thank you so much for being patient with me, enjoy!_

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst.**

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Weeks had passed since Jade started rooming with Beck, most of the days had been spent without any contact whatsoever between the pair. Jade considered herself a solo being and wasted her time by sitting on the floor of the guest room that had become her home and drawing pictures of the bedroom window that she had called her own only a month ago. As time went on the sight became harder and harder to look at.

Seeing with her own eyes the tragic fact that no one in her family was searching for her was hard to comprehend. They had so many chances to even open the door to her bedroom or call her phone. Of which they did neither, she was constantly checking online to make sure. There were upsides to this fact, but most of all it just stung. The people whom Jade had loved were the very ones who were causing her this anguishing loneliness.

A knock on the front door knocked Jade out of her inner ramblings and personal thought storms. The sound echoed throughout the hallway, and with Beck gone for work she was alone in an unfamiliar home. Who could be outside that door? The possibilities were endless. Surely her parents hadn't seen her through the window. Or had they? No, of course not, if they had they would have come to get her already. Running her pale hand through her dark tresses the contrast of colors was shocking.

Deciding to go answer it Jade stood up from her spot on the floor, stretching out her legs trying to loosen up her dark skinny jeans that she'd worn every single day thus far. Her t-shirt was one that she had snatched from Beck's collection while he was gone. Luckily he didn't seem to notice it was gone, and the familiar scent of her human savior was nice to have near her. Plus the cotton was soft after being worn for many years obviously. The bottom was frayed and the band logo on the front was very faded, but she didn't care.

Looking in the mirror Jade saw a girl with no life in her eyes look back at her. The fire that she used to feel when waking up in the morning had dwindled down to a smoke, the only reminder that there ever even was a flame. Despite all that she had been through lately Jade had bounced back with very few problems. Her body was back in action, the bruises had begun to start healing which was nice, she no longer felt judged when she wore short sleeves shirts and went for a walk.

Turning the knob Jade groaned, "What do you want?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. For the first few moments of seeing the girl before her she didn't understand exactly who it was. But a second later Jade recognized the tall, thin teenage girl who goes by the name of Tori Vega. A nemesis of high school Jade, when she believed in petty drama and chasing boys.

"Holy shit! What the hell, Vega?" The raven haired girl exclaimed, her blue eyes filling with rage as she gazed at Tori. If you looked closely you could almost feel the tension between the pair, Jade's eyes aiming lasers. As if she wanted to cut the other girl in half, which surprisingly was exactly what she was considering. The young woman had though she left that section of her life in the past, never to interfere with her present.

The girl at the door widened her brown eyes in shock, her tote bag hung from her shoulder and she hugged it tightly to her body. The cascading waves down her back gave of the southern California vibe that she going for with her white flip flops and neon pink cutoff shorts. Her tanned skin shined in the sun, which made Jade despise her even more.

"What are you doing here?" They asked each other at the same time. Jade scoffed, crossing her arms and walking back inside the small house without inviting the other girl inside. Following her inside Tori slammed the door behind her and sat down next to Jade on the brown leather couch in the living room. She set her bag down of the floor and slipped off her flip flops, seemingly ready to start fighting. Their bickering sessions could last for hours if they gave it their all, but with the look of baggy eyes and mismatched clothing in Jade's case the outlook didn't seem so grand.

With a questioning glance the darker haired girl cracked her knuckles and pulled her jean covered legs underneath her body so she rested on top of them above the cushions of the couch. Her sly smile was starting to make Tori nervous, so she spoke loudly not wanting the silence to continue on. "Beck and I are good friends; I was just coming to drop off some cookies that I made this morning." She gestured towards the brown bag she had carried in with her that currently sat on the ground near her flip flops.

"Well put them on the counter and go then. Goodbye-" Jade waved, turning her attention to her naked nails. "Or did you actually come here for something important?"

Sighing Tori responded quickly "This isn't your house, Jade. And you have no right to tell me when I can come and go. Until I hear it from Beck himself I'm going to assume that you are merely just an intruder and do not belong here at all."

"You're completely wrong, and from what Beck has said about you I took it that you no longer spoke. Knowing you though I'd bet all my money on you being a stalker. Would that be correct, _Little Miss Perfect Voice_?" Jade mocked the last part, using her Tori impersonation that sounded similar to a country girl, which Tori is not. Either way Jade felt it appropriate.

"Seriously Jade, can't you just go. It's been years, and I wanted to make it decades until I ever saw you again. It's not my fault you're such a bitch-" Tori was interrupted by the sound of keys opening the front door as well as Jade's hand extremely close to her right cheek.

Jade couldn't believe Tori had said such a thing. Out of everyone in the world she expected her ex-best friend to know how horrible that word was to hear. The people whom had sputtered that comment to her were the ones who Jade still had nightmares about. At a time Tori had been her confidant, how could she betray her greatest fears so easily? Jade knew herself as a mean girl, she didn't deny it. But never would she ever take such a low blow.

Before she even registered what had happened she was standing over Tori with her hand close to hitting her in the face. The blow –if she decided to follow through- would create a bruise on her olive cheek. But Jade was changing, evolving as a person. There was no question as she hit the girl below her, a yelp coming from Tori's mouth. Jade quickly backed upped, instantly apologizing, yet not regretting.

"I'm so sorry, I just –I'm sorry." She repeated, trying her hardest not to start throwing things. There were a few soft things in the room such as pillows, but Jade was working on calming herself and learning through her past violent behavior. In her own mind Jade figured Tori had it coming when she was so rude, there was no question.

Remorse was written through all of her features. Violence had always been the past answer. When someone hurt you in any way, shape, or form you fought back with what you knew –the physical stuff. Jade had been trying so hard to change. After being hurt herself, many ways, this was a cycle she would rather not repeat. No, this was a cycle she was certain she would never even touch, let alone recycle.

Tori stood up, her cheek a bright red hue that peaked through underneath her hand that was pressed against the sure-to-be bruise. "It's okay, I deserve it. Don't apologize, it's fine. I Guess I'll just go, sorry that I said that. I-I know it's hard for you to hear." Jade nodded understandingly before walking her friend to the door and closing it shut with a slam, neither teen said goodbye.

As soon as Tori crossed the threshold Jade had slid down the door and hugged her knees to her chest. A sign that she indeed was human, the tears streamed down her face as she remembered how things used to be and how she wanted things to be in the future. And then they fell harder when she thought about the boy causing her all these troubles, and how he had somehow made his way into her dreams.

At four in the afternoon Beck was just arriving home from his work, he proudly stated "guess what I've got?" Walking into the kitchen he leaned on the counter and waited for Jade to emerge from her bedroom which lately had become her own personal cave.

He heard a door open and the wood floor creak as a disabled Jade stepped besides him. She looked different than he had ever seen her. Not a trace of makeup was on her face, and the natural freckles were prominent on her skin as she rubbed her eyes and managed to smirk.

"Checking me out are you?" Jade laughed, sliding up to the counter in Beck's shirt and a pair of cutoff shorts she had made from her previous pair of jeans. "I'm a sight to be seen, aren't I?" Beck chuckled lightly as he grabbed a plastic coffee cup from the counter opposite of the pair.

The steam was coming through the lid and Jade was met with the familiar scent of coffee from the truck by Hollywood Arts. No matter how stupid it sounded that cart always made the most amazing coffee. Even if it didn't have proper signage, and most likely broke many, many health codes it was still Jade's ultimate favorite thing. Very rarely did she get to enjoy a beverage from the truck, but when she did she savored it.

"Say please and you can have it," The boy taunted, holding it over her head and pulling it away like an older child would to a younger one on the playground. Jade grabbed it quickly before he even looked back and noticed that it had been snatched from his hand. A look of displeasure was on his features as he grabbed his on coffee and took a sip of the dark beverage.

The girl smirked as she ingested her own portion of the steaming liquid, it felt good going down her throat. "You knew exactly what I like. Good going, Beck." She said, it was as close as Jade would come to saying thank you –a pattern he'd become more familiar with as time goes on.

Crossing her legs she asked nicely "How was your day? I'm supposed to ask right, I don't usually play house guest." Beck smiled at her, leaning forward onto the counter so that their faces were almost touching. Hi naturally thin lips were looking pretty good to Jade right about now, but she controlled herself and stayed back, trying her best to act normal and not lean over and attack him with a make out session that she was just not realizing was something she craved. Badly.

"That was perfect." He smiled the way that made Jade whimper. She was a strong, one who didn't whimper. But what do you know? Sometimes there's that one person… Whom, Jade reminded herself, was merely a kind person giving her a place to stay. He'd showed no interest in her whatsoever. Or had he?

She wasn't the kind of girl to overanalyze anything, especially not glances from the cute boy who she currently shared a house with. Although there were a few hand brushings and eye conversations, there was just no comparison to how she felt when she saw into his eyes. The people who say eyes are the window to your soul are one hundred percent correct, Jade had never been more sure.

Beck held his hand out for Jade to step off the counter top. She set her pale hand in his olive colored one and she let her feet hit the tiles, a cold chill going up her spine with a warm feeling in her chest. The contrast of the two was almost shattering her train of thought.

"My day was good. Productive I think." He nodded, as if acknowledging his own statement with familiarity. "I checked around for police reports reporting you missing. I don't know whether this is good news or bad news, but none have been filed so you've got nothing to hid from. Isn't that great?" Jade faked a smile, walking herself to the floor as she sat down in silence.

Of course Beck didn't know that he had told her that too soon. Lights were flashing next door and the voice of a police officer came through speakers outside. The two looked at each other with fear in their eyes, Jade stood up throwing herself into Becks arms and building herself up on the inside for anything that might happen to them.

"What do you think is going on?" She whispered quietly as they walked their way into Beck's room on the opposite end of the lights. He pulled her close to him as they sat on the bed together legs entangled and hearts on the verge of shedding blindness. There was no romance between the two, the only thing on their minds was the inherent feeling of doom in their bones

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**A/N:** _I'm a bit off my game, I know. But things will pick up next time, I promise! As always, reviews and favorites make me smile. XD_


	6. D is for Dangerous

**A/N: **_I've been camping for a few days without internet. This campground has internet, but blocked tumblr, so I assumed ff was blocked as well. But it wasn't! So yahoo! Anyways, don't hate me once you get to the end of this chapted, okay?_

**WARNING: This is a very dark story that will be filled with violence and angst.**

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Attraction –evil in its sincerest form. The strong, the mighty, the brave Jade West folded herself into the arms of her newest friend, and closest soul, Becket Oliver. Lately they hadn't spoken of the 'incident', and the thought of her nature going unnoticed perturbed Jade. She was a strong woman, and would never let anybody underestimate her danger.

But that's exactly what she had done. Letting Beck help her was her first mistake, and it would be a lie to say she didn't regret it. Compared to being her enemy's roommate and friend if you will, death was a seemingly shiny option. If only she had let herself bleed out on the bus stop bench. None of this would be happening, and maybe order would be in its former way.

There was still that lingering thought that the way things were, that it wasn't good enough. The feeling of his strong arms around her thin body, and the scent of his cologne forever embedded in her brain was starting to cloud her own senses. She was acting more and more like a teenage girl, and nothing frightened her more.

Of course she was still in the style of a tough girl. Grungy plaid shirt, black studded tank top, military style combat boots, ripped skinny jeans –but even with her stand out makeup of bright red lipstick and natural face she still seemed to blend in and identify with the princess. A girl who would rather spend time being saved than being the savior.

How do you tell a person their presence sends you into a state of pure oblivion? That's the question Jade was currently pondering as she watched the sirens blare outside the small window. Normally she'd be fast acting and instantly know what to do, which was exactly why she needed to distance herself from him –for him. Keeping him away was the only way to keep him safe.

"Jade, what's wrong?" Beck whispered, his low whispering voice sending shivers down her spine.

She bit her bottom lip, and sighed before pulling away from Beck's warm embrace and onto the other side of the room. "Everything, everything is wrong! That's my goddamn family, Beckett! My family! Those people-" Jade paused, taking a breath before uttering the biggest lie she had ever uttered before. "Those people are my family, and you love your family no matter what. I love them, I really do."

Beck looked at her with a gentle expression. It read no resentment, no anger, yet Jade felt as if she had just been slapped in the face. In the past she had slapped in the face, with an actual hand on her actual cheek. The imprint left a mark for three days, a hand shaped bruise of her face was not very easy to cover with makeup. But this slap was one that would leave a lasting scar.

She couldn't tell you what she expected to happen. Maybe a few tears or a little bit of reluctance. But what he gave her was kindness and understanding, two things that Jade was not able to comprehend.

"I'm leaving. My stuff will be gone in the morning." The girl dead-panned before she walked out of the guest house and slammed the door behind her. As she left tears streamed down her face, one from each eye as she darted across the lusciously green lawn onto her own, well not anymore, yard.

Her old yard was covered in bird baths and tacky yard ornaments. The yard was grown out because it was her usual job to mow it, and her father wouldn't trust anybody who wasn't her around his precious lawn. If there was one thing other than his business that he loved it would have been that greenery. Jade almost laughed thinking about it until a police officer walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Can I help you, miss?" The young blond man asked. Jade shook her head yes, before trying her best to muster up a smile and seem as if those tears were purely accidentally. No one could see her in such a state, especially a stranger.

"Yes, actually, thank you. This, this is my house," She paused, breathing in before continuing. "And I think something might've happened here. Any word on the condition of the occupants, or on what has happened?" Jade tried to remain calm and polite, which was showing to be a challenge.

He nodded. "Yep, the people in here, two adults, a man and a women suffered from bad burns in the east side of the house. The only thing we could get out without a problem was the dog, sadly."

She internally wondered if the news of her parent's state should be shocking her, but it wasn't. There was very little that bothered her, and in all honesty she believed her parents had it coming to them. They lived in a dirty business, and it was no surprise that someone would want them dead. Thankfully they weren't, both of them were still currently breathing; which was hopeful.

In the case of actual death she was aware that she would have to step up and take her father's place. Previous years had been spent training for the event that would happen, learning how to hassle people into believing you and how to make humanity a practically fictitious thing.

With her head held high and her blue eyes shining with determination she pushed her way through the crowds of gatherers watching the ordeal. The calls of police officers and crime reporters were heard, but ignored as she walked straight through the front door and into the home clouded with fresh smoke.

The scent seeped into her lungs and reminded her of her old cigarette habit. She hadn't had that vicious item between her lips in month, the addiction had faded over time and her love and obsession with other things to precedence.

Although the smoke was different, the smoke from the fire was thicker and more murky, it stayed in your lungs for longer with a bitter burning sensation minus the pleasure of the nicotine. Jade longed for the taste of the fine smoke, how it looked when it blended in with the chilled winter air.

Checking every now and again when she heard footsteps Jade decided she was clear twenty minutes later after wandering the home for a bit. The hallways were a science to her, easy to navigate through her memory, but hard to associate with through her mind. It held bad memories, and good ones. Yet for some reason she still felt as if she was a stranger.

Jade walked into her old bedroom. The band posters from her early teenage years were still as stiff as ever on her wall. Stickers from various performances and local dive bars cluttered the cover of her old laptop, and pictures from her more innocent years were hung up on the walls.

It was an unspoken rule in the West household that no pictures were to be shown after you 'made the transition'. Mrs. West never really complained about anything pertaining to the danger and violence, but she'd be damned if her children were shown in that light. When everything else was dark and painful, she longed for the light her family used to hold.

The memory was bittersweet. Just like everything in her past.

She ran her fingers over her old white desk, the dust had settled and left a gray matter on her finger as she pulled it away. Everything appeared untouched, just as she suspected it would. Her parents would ignore the problem until it went away, or in this case came back. But she wouldn't come back, at least not when they could see her.

Her cell phone sat on the bedside table, buzzing violently with text message reminders and low battery warnings. Jade picked it up and dialed back the number that had most recently called, Cat's.

If there was anything Jade missed, it was her best red-headed friend. Originally she didn't call her because she couldn't without her phone. Cat would be frightened if she was called from an unknown number, and Jade kind of agreed. With the kind of people they come in contact with it's always a concern that somebody of worry would find their personal information. But, then there was also the reason that she didn't want her friend to know she was staying with Beck –at Beck's. Cat would never let her here the end of it.

"Hola, chica!" Cat laughed from the other end of the line, her high pitched voice brought a smile to Jades face. Finally a familiar person, she was in desperate need of one of those at the moment.

"Hey, sweetie, how are you doing?" This was the nicest Jade was to anyone, and what was most surprising was that she was genuine.

"I'm alright, Jadey. But my brother flushed Mr. Wubbles down the toilet yesterday because he was mad at my dad for not letting him hold the gun." Jade could almost feel Cat's anger through the phone and let out a small laugh at the foolish situation.

"Just let it go, you've got your own gun so maybe he's jealous." She reassured.

"I bet he is." Cat sighed, "Where have you been, Jade? I've been really worried about you. Your dad said you were fine, but you know I don't believe him."

"Things have been tough, Cat. But don't you worry; I've got a nice place to stay and everything. I'm doing fine."

Cat seemed to believe her, if she had disapproved of it in any way she would have said so already. "Okay, I guess. Where are you staying?" Cat asked, trying to make conversation.

"With a friend," Jade replied quickly, trying to hide her secrets. This, of course was rather idiotic considering her friend knew nothing more about Beck other than when the pair first met –which was fantastic for Jade.

"Anyone I know?"

"Nah, probably not." Jade responded, trying her hardest to keep her concern down. If anyone could read her like a book, it would be this girl. "But he's a really good guy, he really cares." She swallowed back a smile as if it was poison. "I like him." She might as well have just confessed her undying love right then and there, which was unfortunate because as she turned around she came in contact with the faces of her parents. Her worst nightmares.

The initial meeting was awkward to say the least. Both of her parents were smiling, and greeted her with love. The kind of love that you expect from the run-of-the-mill people, ones who have a white picket fence and three children in matching golf attire.

"Did you get him?" Her father said below a whisper as the people scurried around.

"I'm living with him aren't I?" And for the first time in a while Jade realized that she was no better. Those feelings, those emotions, they weren't her. All the time she spent with Beck pretending to be this sweet girl was a lie. What could she say? He knew she was a sinner.

Of course, like with any mission there was this guilt in the back of her mind. But she wouldn't fail her family. Not again, not this time. It was time to take him down and make him beg for mercy from his knees. Maybe then she'd believe in what she was doing.

Crime. Just like that it sucks you right back in.

* * *

**A/N:** _Don't kill me, please! This was inevitable. A sinner doesn't change her ways that easily. Or does she? More drama to come next chapter!  
_


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